Takoradi, April 12, GNA- A total of 27 people lost their lives in 159 accidents recorded in the first quarter of the year in the Western Region, 19 of which were classified as fatal.

Two hundred and nineteen people were injured in these accidents, 19 of them classified as fatal and involving a total of 180 vehicles. Mr. Thomas Bismark Boakye, National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) Coordinator for Western and Central Regions disclosed these at a press briefing in Takoradi on Thursday.

He explained that the sudden increase in the number of vehicle in the region was one of the factors that accounted for the number of accidents compared to the situation during the same period in 2006. During the first quarter of 2006, 15 people were killed and 138 injured in 108 accidents that involved 162 vehicles.

Mr. Boakye called for closer collaboration between the NRSC and the media, traditional councils the various religious organizations, private and public institutions to reduce road accidents to the barest minimum. "Road safety is now a public health issue that must be of concern to all" he said, and advised passengers to check insurance, road worthiness and other documents of vehicles before boarding them. Increase in incidents of pedestrian knockdowns in Sekondi-Takoradi and other urban communities in the region was one of the major concerns of the Commission, he said, and called for a concerted efforts to reverse the situation.

Mr. Boakye announced that the first United Nations Global Road Safety Week that would be observed nationwide from 23 to 29 April 2007 would be launched in Accra.

It would be on the theme "Improving safety for young road users". A number of activities including road safety messages in the churches and mosques, road safety quiz competitions, radio and television discussions, visit to road accident victims and a float would be organized as part of the celebration of the week in the Western Region.